Act IV, scenes i–v

Summary — Act IV, scene i

At the siege of Arras, the Cadets of Carbon de Castel-Jaloux
languish, surrounded by the encamped Spaniards and lacking food
and water. Le Bret keeps watch with Carbon early one morning, and they
discuss the plight of the soldiers. They hear gunfire in the distance,
and Cyrano runs in. Every morning he has been crossing enemy lines
to post a daily letter to Roxane. Cyrano tells the startled guards
that he promised Roxane that Christian would write her every single
day. Cyrano looks at the sleeping Christian and says that Christian
is dying of hunger but is still handsome.

Summary — Act IV, scene ii

Dawn breaks, drums sound, and Cyrano goes off to write
another letter. The cadets awaken and complain about their hunger.
There is talk of a mutiny, and Carbon asks Cyrano for his help.

Summary — Act IV, scene iii

Cyrano comes out and talks to the cadets, restoring morale
with a clever speech and his passionate commitment to the cause.
He implores a piper to play a song from Provence, and though the cadets
become tearfully homesick, they do forget about their hunger. De
Guiche enters, evoking a general murmur of resentment from the cadets.
Cyrano tells the miserable cadets to stop moping and to look busy
as de Guiche arrives.

Summary — Act IV, scene iv

Prompted by Cyrano, de Guiche boasts of his conduct in
the previous day’s battle when, to confuse the Spaniards, he flung
away the white plume that marked him as an officer. Cyrano then
proclaims that a courageous man would never have flung away the
white plume, and he offers to wear it in the next bout of fighting.
De Guiche says Cyrano makes the pledge only because he knows the plume
lies somewhere on the battlefield. To the cadets’ delight, Cyrano
produces the plume from his pocket.

Furious, de Guiche seizes the plume and waves it to a
sentry, who runs toward the Spanish encampments. De Guiche says
that he has just given a signal and that the Spanish will attack
in perhaps an hour. He says that the cadets will all die but that,
in the process, they will buy the French forces as much time as
possible. Cyrano thanks de Guiche solemnly for the opportunity to
die with glory.

Christian tells Cyrano he wishes he could say farewell
to Roxane, and Cyrano shows him the farewell letter he has just
written. Christian notices the mark of a tear on the letter and
nearly guesses Cyrano’s secret. He is interrupted by the arrival
of a mysterious coach.